


wallflower

by SquishyLeyva



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, More tags to be added, Short & Sweet, Short Chapters, Strong Female Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-12
Updated: 2019-07-22
Packaged: 2020-06-27 05:22:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 6,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19784101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SquishyLeyva/pseuds/SquishyLeyva
Summary: she is a wallflower.she see things.she keeps quiet about them.and she understands.until someone finally sees her.and she is thrown back into the world she was trying to avoid.-lower case intended-SHORT CHAPTERS.temporary hiatus while i get in to the groove of my new semester’s schedule, will continue updates in september!





	1. violet eyes

**Author's Note:**

> short chapters, occasionally i get carried away and right over six hundred words but regular chapters are normally barely above two/three hundred.
> 
> stark difference to my other story, truly.

the air was brisk, though, the sun made it just warm enough to be a pleasurable temperature. it was a nice afternoon in paris, and was about to get better with lunch break coming. right on cue, the bell rings, signaling their hour long lunch, and students quickly filtered out of their classrooms and scattered around campus.

luka chuckles at something marinette rambles about as they walk to the usual spot their group flocks together at.

adrien soon joins, along with alya and nino, his sister coming over with rose. they all idly chat, eating their food and cracking jokes, and luka takes a moment to observe the scene around him.

his friends.

turning to pay attention to marinette complaining about their physics assignment, adrien offering to help her, and watching her silently freak out. her eyes flickered to luka, then away again, a look a guilt coming across her face.

 _ah,_ yes.

marinette had let him down gently, a month ago. he was disappointed, yes, but he knew from the beginning that her heart yearns for another.

but he would never hold that against her, and he still cares for her deeply.

and maybe it will take a little bit of help for him to rid of these feelings towards her, but he would learn.

a flash of violet behind marinette catches his attention, briefly, and his eyes flicker up to it out of curiosity. bubblegum pink bangs frame the observant eyes of a girl across the room, hair tied up into a neat bun. his lips part in surprise at the stark difference in her eye and hair color, but it was oddly captivating.

he watches her eyes flutter across each of the people in his group, tilting her head when falling on adrien and marinette.

people walked past where she sat on the bench against the wall, none seemed to pay any mind to her. it was almost as if...she wasn't even there.

her eyes flicker over to him, and sees her face contort into surprise, brows lifting ever so slightly. her cheeks flush pink in embarrassment from being caught.

he couldn't look away.

but she did.

turning her head, she shouldered her bag and stood from her seat, doing a once over of the room before making her exit.

"luka?" his head snapped back towards his group, juleka frowning in worry, "we called your name a couple times, are you okay?"

"i'm fine, juleka, really. was just lost in my thoughts," he assured, waving it off.

"what were you looking at?" adrien leaned over to get a better view from his angle, but there was now nothing ( _no one_ ) where he was once staring off at.

"i just saw someone over at that bench," he admitted, "i just...have never seen her before."

"well, what did she look like?" marinette probed, taking a bite of her sandwich. everyone nods, each making a comment that they'll help figure out who it is.

"well she had bubblegum pink hair, and violet eyes. sound familiar to any of you?"

there was a silent pause, as everyone looked at each other, brows furrowed.

bubblegum pink hair?

 _violet_ eyes?

they've never seen anyone with violet eyes unless they've been akumatized.

"luka...i don't think _any_ of us knows who you're talking about."

huh.

he glanced back to where she once sat, then around the area but unable to find her anywhere.

 _'how curious_.'  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


he didn't notice the violet eyes above them, glancing over the rail before turning on her heel and scurrying over to the comfort of the art classroom.

she promised nathaniel she'd be his muse for his water color portrait.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	2. bubblegum hair

he spent the next couple of days searching for her, but to no avail. the others kept an eye out, though, only care back with the same results.

it was like this girl was a ghost. no one seemed to know who he was talking about, and was beginning to believe that she was nothing but a figment of his imagination.

it wasn't until a couple days later that his theory was thrown away immediately when he saw her again, a few days later. this time, her hair is what caught his attention. before, it was in a bun, but today it was cascading past her shoulders and down to mid-back.

bubblegum strands fluttered behind her as she strode through the entrance, if anything, she looked a bit frazzled. probably woke up late and didn't bother to fix herself.

he noticed that she weaved through the crowd of students easily, no one sparing her a glance as she yawns. her eyes flutter about the room curiously, taking note of different things and people, ears picking up on light conversations, and quiet ones that shouldn't be heard by others.

she stops walking, her eyes meeting his once again. her brows pull together in confusion, tilting her head again, after catching him looking at her.

he raises a hand in a small wave, timid, unsure of where he falls in her perspective. luka knows he dresses...alternatively, and quite the opposite of the girl with violet eyes and bubblegum hair.

her lips pull into a small smile, though hesitant, and return a tiny wave to him, before walking behind a group.

he blinks, trying to follow her, but—

she's gone.

"huh," he breathes, trying to understand what just happened. she should have emerged from behind the group, if she was walking past them. eyeing the group, there wasn't a spot of bubblegum hair.

she just...vanished.

"weird."

"what is?" he looks back to his friends, his own group being tucked against the wall in the early morning before class. rose smiles gently at him, having noticed his distracted gaze across the room. while not knowing what he was looking at, she could definitely tell it really garnered his attention.

"oh, nothing, rose. was just thinking."

she knew it wasn't true, giggling, "okay."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


she leans against the wall, violet eyes narrowed in his direction, not knowing what to make of this development. her gaze was anything but hostile, more observant and cautious. she blows a strand of hair out of her face, annoyed that she didn't have a spare hair tie.

"so it wasn't a one-time fluke," she muttered, her voice laced with disbelief, "he noticed me...?"

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	3. watercolor portrait

luka rested his cheek on his palm, listening to the teacher drone on about the history of Picasso before they started their assignment. normally, he would be invested in the lesson, but he'd been so bummed out about not seeing the mysterious girl since _last week_.

all he wanted to do was find out who she was, and possibly befriend her. she seemed like a curious girl, and this investigation was an investment now.

eyes left the front of the room and traveled to the walls where art hung to dry or simply to showcase the talent some students had. he recognized some of them as marinette's, as there aren't that many that she lets people see, but her style was evident, and her cursive signature hidden somewhere in the drawing. he scanned more of the art until his eyes landed on portrait.

his breath hitched, and he sat up straight in his seat, eyes widening. there, was a portrait of the girl he was looking for.

it was of soft pastel colors from water paint, giving the air of softness that she seemed to express the few times he'd seen her. her hair was pulled into the neat bun, with bangs framing her face. her cheek pressed to her palm just as his was, she smiled at whoever had painted her. her violet eyes were a stark contrast to the other colors used, and rightfully so.

the portrait definitely did her justice.

he searched for a name, a signature, _anything_.

and there it was, right under the painting.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


' _wallflower_ ' by _nathaniel_

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	4. soft colors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> learning a little bit about her.

if anyone had asked her if she would be wearing these soft colors a two years ago she would have laughed in their face before punching them. she wasn't always the way she was, not many people knew that. what they believe is that she moved away but in reality, she had simply changed.

she was always angry. not at anyone in particular, but simply at the world. after her little brother was put risk because of her she decided that she needed to make some lifestyle and attitude changes. her interests were essentially the same, but she began to see beauty and everything rather than remaining ignorant to everything around her.

she cleaned herself up, her style now depended on her mood (or how late she woke up). her attitude depended on how some treats her. everything about her now followed the rules of _cause and effect_.

and most of all, she went to all the people she used to get into fights with, shocking them with her change of image and apologized respectfully and begged for them not to go looking for her again. lots were skeptical, others mockingly laughed, and some just accepted that she had grown up.

she was just a kid compared to them, after all.

"you look pretty today," her brother complimented shyly as she walked with him to drop him off at his school, hand in hand. she smiled as she glanced down at her striped pastel pink and white sweater and her soft yellow skirt. white socks and taupe shoes adorned her feet.

"thanks munchkin," they stopped walking as they reached his school, and she squats carefully and give him a hug, "now be careful, and don't do anything i would have done you little rascal." ruffling his hair, he giggled while squirming away and ran toward the building with a wave. she waited until he entered before heading to school.

she changed so that she could protect her baby brother. she blended into the background so that no one would notice or care for her.

but if a day were to come where she had to shift back into old habits, for her brother-- image be damned-- she would _not_ go down without a fight. 

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	5. stray stands

nathaniel did not expect to be confronted so early in the morning. he had just arrived to school, a little too early as he usually did, heading to the art room to decide weather to work with watercolors again today or try out a different type.

but the moment he entered the art room, there was something off. there was someone already inside, staring at his painting of her.

"luka?" he called curiously, thoughts wandering to why the older would be here so early. he must have left without juleka, and they normally arrived together. he watched the other turn to him.

"nathaniel," luka nodded his head, "the girl you painted. who is she?"

the red-head blinked, "huh?"

"her!" he pointed to the painting he had created the other day with his friend as his muse. "i have seen her every where and all i want to know is _who she is_!"

nathaniel was not used to this, luka was always calm and collected. "uh, she's—cel—i—" his mind blanked so his body decided to act accordingly to his nerves.

he ran.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


the moment she steps into the doors, nathaniel rushes over to her with a panic which immediately worried her. nathaniel was the one and only friend she had after she changed and seeing him like this worried her.

"nathaniel?" she gripped his shoulder, "are you okay?"

"someone is looking for you—i-i just r-ran from him," he stutters over his reply, breathing quickly. she immediately tensed, eyes narrowing as she squeezed her friend's shoulder. 

"was he trying to hurt you? _threaten_ you?"

"no, no, not at all! he's a friend. i just froz-"

"nathaniel, wait!" she turned at the sound of the voice calling out to her friend, "i am so sorry, i didn't mean to—"

teal clashed with violet and nathaniel shrunk behind her because _okay, wow, this is rather intense._

"you," luka released a breath. he watched her defensive stance in front of nathaniel relax but she raised an eyebrow at him, looking displeased at the current situation, and tucked a stray strands of hair behind her ear. he noted that it was down today, and her outfit was that of pastels and soft colors.

"yeah, me," she drawled, tilting her head. "i'm told you're looking for me."

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	6. her melody

her voice was much different than he had expected. with how she dressed, he had thought that she would a softer voice like rose or sabrina. her words were clipped and straight to the point, though it almost seemed forced. like she wasn't used to being respectful.

"yes," he nodded, "i have been looking for you."

she tilted her head, seemingly interested, "why?"

luka opened his mouth but stopped short, unable to give a valid reason to his actions other than he _wanted_ to find her. his face flushed when he realized how that would sound and cleared his throat.

"i-it's rather... _stupid_ now that i think about it," he admitted. hearing this caused her lips to twitch up into a smile. 

"i'll be the judge of that," she crossed her arms, now finding amusement in the situation, she turned to nathaniel who was watching the exchange with wide eyes. "go ahead to the art room, yeah? i'll meet you up before class if i can."

he nodded quickly and scurried off back upstairs to find solace in his art. she watched him until he disappeared through the doors before her eyes flutter back to luka's. again, he was stuck in place in awe with how striking the hues were, so vibrant and _open_.

"so?" she piped up, readjusting her bag's straps. "you wanna go sit somewhere?"

they sat at the top of the stairs at the front of the school, set their belongings to their sides before luka began his (ridiculous) explanation.

she threw her head back and released a cackle, her shoulders shook with the force of her laughter. she wheezed for a moment, glancing at luka once again who covered his eyes with his hand as he chuckled at his self as well. this sent her into another round of laughter.

"s-so you have been searching h-high and low like a madman because of your _curiosity_?" she stuttered as she tried to steady her breathing. "well, i've gotta say i'm flattered!" 

luka looked at her in wonder, noticing that her speech had changed, like a twang of an accent. 

"i can't ignore someone who's eyes speak more than their heart," he admitted which earned him a confused glance. "normally i can hear the melody of a person's heart, their emotions, and play it on my guitar," he pats the case that he had set to the side, "but yours is quiet, i can't hear it at all. but when i see your eyes, _then_ i hear it."

her face flushed, and okay, _wow_ , that was a sight to see. she cleared her throat and turned away from him to look ahead.

"and what does it sound like?" she probed. luka smiled and unzipped his guitar case, and bringing out his most prized possession. taking out his pick, and turned towards her.

"can you look at me?"

she hesitated, huffed petulantly then returned to facing him and met his eyes, and there, he heard it. he could not look away, staring into the deep depths of her violet eyes and strummed the chords. the melody was somber, full of guilt and regret, soft during the beginning before growing strong and bold. it was full of promise. for what, he couldn't tell, but he heard something else.

fear.

her eyes glistened in awe as she listened but eventually turned into un-shed tears. he stopped playing, brows furrowed in concern.

"how do you do that?" she chuckled and brought her arms to dab at her eyes with the sleeves of her sweater to dry the tears before they fell. "that's amazing."

his lips quirked into a small smile, remembered how marinette asked her the same thing when he first played her song as well. he shook his head to rid the thoughts and instead set his guitar back in its case.

his gaze settled for what was in front of him, catching sight of some students heading over for school and realized that they might have been talking for longer than he had thought. returning to look at her, who was already looking at him, her head propped up by her knuckles.

"here i thought being noticed would be annoying, but i guess it ain't so bad."

ah, there it was again. the twang.

"can i finally know the name of the girl who i noticed, then?" he teased.

she laughed, the corner of her eyes crinkled and the her cheeks flushed with a rosy pink.

"my name is celeste," she introduced, "celeste la bella."

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	7. loose braids

luka begins to drift from his group in the middle on conversations, something catching his attention before he wanders off with a quick 'see you later' thrown their way. it didn't bother them at first but now it was just so frequent and he never offered an explanation for his sudden departures that they were beginning to get curious.

it had been a few days since the last akuma attack and luka has stopped showing up to their group meet-up during lunch. he still arrives in the morning and says his goodbyes after school...but now he's just completely gone from lunch.

"juleka," marinette called, glancing around the room to see if she could catch sight of their friend, "do your know where luka has been going during lunch?"

juleka frowned, shaking her head, "i have no idea. i brought it up at home and he said that he made a new friend."

"oh," she pursed her lips, nodding. "why doesn't he just tell us that, then?"

a shrug was all the response she gets causing marinette to frown. she wasn't mad or jealous, but she was a little... _upset_ at luka. he practically ditched them for this new friend of his.

what was so good about them anyways? surely he couldn't have gotten attached so quickly.

juleka glanced up towards the art room where she had seen her brother enter earlier before anyone else had arrived.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


nathaniel enjoyed drawing different moments that his friend's shared in their bonding time, capturing the memories on paper. he was excited to draw different emotions and actions from celeste, as she never knew what to do by herself before.

luka braided her hair quietly with a soft smile. nathaniel glanced up at them every now and then as he sketched the calming scene in front of him. 

celeste had apparently braided her hair this morning, two long braids had rested over her shoulders and down her front. as the day went on, the more frazzled they became though she paid no mind to their state of disarray.

by the time lunch rolled around her braids were much too loose and pulling out from the hair ties that held whatever was left together.

she had entered the art room slouched over and exhausted. after she took her seat, she folded her arms and rested her head on them and closed her eyes. it didn't take long for her to fall asleep.

luka had taken some time to observe her, eyes roaming her attire for the day. a pastel blue sweater with a giant paw print on the front, black leggings and black flats. after a moment he relocated to set next to her and carefully undid the tangles of hair and nearly wrestles the hair ties out of the strands.

running his fingers through to help with smoothing it out he took his time to appreciate the soft strands and wondered briefly if she had dyed her hair this color of pink.

nathaniel watched the exchange with an endearing smile the whole time and focused on his sketch.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	8. cold tone

as days went by the week eventually fell to the weekend which meant that luka wouldn't see celeste until the following monday. he felt rather disheartened at that fact and voiced his thoughts when they began packing their bags in order to head home. 

nathaniel had left ahead of time because he had to help his parents out with some personal matters, leaving the two new friends to spend a peaceful time together.

"if you want, we can definitely meet up," celeste suggested and shouldered her bag. luka paused, glancing at her.

"you would want to?" he questioned. she seemed nice, sure, nice enough to hang out with him at school. but he didn't know where exactly he stood in her life, what he was to her. he liked to call her a friend, but everyone has their own definition of friends.

"yeah, there is just a possibility that i might have to bring my little brother along. our parents aren't home much so i normally have to take care of him."

he hummed as they started their descent down the stairs, "you have a little brother? i wouldn't mind, really."

"yeah, he's seven," she smiled at the mention of her brother, "his name is lucien, i love him to bits and pieces."

"that's good," he nods, "I know there are some people who don't get along with their younger siblings."

"i would do anything for my little brother."

luka almost reeled back at the cold tone that the female had suddenly adopted. he glanced over to her, seeing her eyes narrowed, glaring, though at nothing in particular. he hadn't seen her like this before. so...hostile.

"anything?" he probed. she turned to look at him as they reached the front doors, exiting the school.

she affirmed, "anything."

he simply smiled at her, "your brother is very lucky to have such a caring older sister."

she returned it as they came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs. she pulled out her phone, unlocking it with a rather long password before she held it towards him.

"put your number in, i'll text you later."

he took the phone and carefully typed in his number and returned the phone. she entered a few things on the screen then tucked the phone in her pocket and eyes fluttered up to him.

"i have to pick up my brother from school, i'll talk to you later, yeah?"

"yeah," he breathed, "talk to you later, then." he waved and they both turned to walk their separate ways. he glanced over his shoulder...

he hoped she would message him sooner rather than later.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	9. extrovert introvert

the texting didn't seem to stop once it started, there was just always something to talk about between the two. whether it was celeste's expressed interest in his music or his curiosity about her differing styles every day. she had a nice personality, she was funny, a little quirky sure, but she was an all-around _good_ person.

he voiced his opinion on that, when they decided to go eat breakfast together at a local cafe. he didn't get to meet her little brother since he was at a friend's house, but the weather was nice, and there were more adults than people their age (which was probably because they didn't have school so there was no reason to be up).

celeste shook her head, laughing. not at him, but simply at what he had told her.

"if only you had seen me a couple years ago," she mused, "i wasn't always like this, you know. this _me_ that you know now? didn't exist. i was a whole different person."

 _'oh,'_ he thought, _'this is progress.'_

"tell me about it," he smiled kindly, tried not to show his excitement from her confession. despite wanting to learn more about her, he left room for a change of topic if she did not want to talk about it. 

but that was one of the things he was growing to like about celeste; she wasn't uncomfortable often and vocalized if something was bothering her. she could definitely spot his hesitation on certain things and always reassured him that it was fine, that he was not crossing the invisible line that was set by himself.

"i was punk," she explained, catching him off-guard, "through and through. got inta' fights at least three times a day, _at least_." she breathed out from her nose, running a hand through her hair, pushing her bangs back. "some stuff happened and i decided ta' clean myself up, in the process...i simply became just 'nother student that attended school. i became nobody."

 _'wallflower,'_ luka remembered the name of the painting nathaniel had made and hummed, taking a sip of his drink (hot chocolate, even on warmer days it was always a soothing beverage). "nathaniel named his painting of you _wallflower,_ why?"

she pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair, her fingers fiddled with her straw, "that's how he sees me," she started, though she seemed to have trouble finding the correct words, he waited patiently for her to continue. "remember when you first saw me? you caught me observing...have ta' admit i was pretty embarrassed that you did."

luka remembered, of course he did. that was where all of this started.

"well," she continued, "wallflowers...can be called shy, though i'm not, really. i just don't feel comfortable around other people, i don't like having attention of me. it's what i am trying to avoid. usually...i have trouble talking to people because i don't know what to say. it's why i came off as i did when you found me, it's like...my defense mechanism."

he nodded his head to show that he understood what she was trying to convey which brought a small smile to her lips, her eyes scrunching in almost _glee_.

"usually wallflowers...are _fake_ to their friends to hide that they're actually quiet. but i'm backwards. i show that i am quiet, to _everyone_ , to hide that i'm boisterous and, well, a delinquent. but because i became to quiet, so introverted, keeping away from any type of contact...i became invisible. 

"you can tell anything to me because i'd never tell anyone since i tend to avoid people. even if you don't, i still hear. i have learned so many things no one else would _ever_ know, simply because people don't pay attention to me. that day, when you caught me observing- that's just it, _that's_ what it's like to be a wallflower. you see things, you keep quiet about them, and you _understand_. i would rather watch than be involved."

"that seems to be a major change from a delinquent punk who got into fights _at least_ three times a day," luka teased, voice dripped with sarcasm. 

(maybe that would also explain the occasional change in her pronunciation. or as he called it; the _twang._ )

celeste scoffed, "like i said, _fake_. this docile exterior ya' see now is a stark contrast compared to how i'm constantly spittin' profanities at people in my head. though i am curious..." luka leaned forward just as she did, seeming to whisper something to him. "i can understand reasons easily, i think quickly and pride myself in solving. but i won't lie; i'm stumped."

her playful smile was wipe from her face, showing a more serious expression as confusion swam in her eyes. 

those violet eyes he noticed from the beginning. 

"why is it that _you_ noticed me when _no one else did_?"

"you know, i've been asking myself the same thing."

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	10. rooted fear

the first time luka suggested introducing her to his group of friends, she shot the idea down immediately. outright refusing to even listen to his reasoning. 

each day he would bring the idea up, sometimes she would pause and actually think about it before she refused, and others she would hiss out her _no_.

then it finally came down to this. luka's patience was beginning to run thin.

"i'm supposed to be a wallflower, luka," she whined, "i can't have people _knowing_ me."

"you can have friends and still be a wallflower," he argued back, hands on his hips, "i'm not asking you to share your whole life story, i want you to try _blending in_. i also happen to miss my other friends, but i don't want you to feel like i'm ditching you."

celeste stopped her tantrum for a moment to think. luka had a point, he wanted her to become acquainted with _his_ friends so that he could hang out with bother her and his group. though it definitely benefits him more than it would celeste.

she does see where he is coming from with blending in, sure, but she doesn't _need_ to blend in. she's fine as she is. she pursed her lips, glancing at her red-haired friend who watched the exchange with an amused smile.

"can nathaniel come?" 

"he's already friends with some of my group, he's just been waiting for you to agree."

celeste frowned, a guilt sinking in her chest at the new-found information. she sighed, crossing her arms and let her thoughts run some more.

what would be the worst-case-scenario that could happen if she decided to give this a go? not get along with any of them. dislike them. saying something that would make _them_ dislike _her_ (not that she cared about their opinions on her). 

_get in a fight_.

she bit her lip. it was always _that_ possibility that stopped her from interacting with someone. don't let her actions fool you, she has a bad temper if the correct buttons were pushed. the fear that she would go back to old habits just because she was _angry_. fear that if she makes one wrong move, her family...her _brother_ would be in danger again.

but luka wanted her to be there.

these past couple of weeks have been fun, she enjoyed the others company. it was also a change from hanging out with someone younger than her, no matter how much she enjoyed nathaniel's company. luka understood her, listened, and accepted her with open arms. not many people did that.

she was more than fond of him, that was a sure thing.

only time would tell.

she let out a loud groan in resignation, throwing her head back.

"fine. introduce me to your...posse."

"you pronounced _friends_ incorrectly."

"i said what i meant and i meant what i said. are we going or not?"

nathaniel popped up beside her, smiling, "don't worry celeste, they're all good people. i'm sure you'll get along with them."

she trailed behind the both of them, shutting the door to the art room behind her, she scrunched her nose in distaste.

there was a few more reasons that she didn't want to meet their friends, but she couldn't tell him.

she couldn't tell _anybody_.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵


	11. awkward smile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay! final installment to what i currently have posted on wattpad!
> 
> regular updates for this fic are every monday!

she shifted awkwardly beside luka as she let herself be known to his group of friends. she was dressed nicely today she supposed, since she had gotten up with time. today she was in a black and white (horizontal) striped shirt that was tucked into her high waisted sea-foam green shorts. her feet were covered by glossy black platform oxfords (which aided her in height).

a confident look chosen by her little brother who was better at fashion than she was. 

(after her lifestyle change she had decided to let him take over her closet, which explained all the soft colors. 

_"pretty girls need to wear pretty colors, celeste!"_ )

"hey guys," luka greeted the group warmly, the replies he received were enthused and excited to see him. there were also greetings tossed to nathaniel who also voiced his good morning.

they didn't seem to notice her at first until adrien's eyes landed on her suddenly and he seemed to blink to make sure she was actually there. he smiled and she returned it with a much smaller and awkward one.

it probably came out as a grimace than a smile.

"luka, is this the new friend you were talking about?" adrien questions, and then all eyes were on her. she almost let herself walk away to disappear into the student body but luka rested a hand on her lower back to stop her. she resisted the urge to kick him in the shin.

"yes! these are my friends adrien, marinette, ivan, rose, and my little sister juleka. guys, meet celeste."

celeste huffed out a breath, "hi."

marinette's eyes sparkled with interest as she took in her outfit, "i love your outfit- wow!"

celeste's chest puffs with pride, squaring her shoulders she smiles brightly, "i'll be sure to let my brother know, it'll make his day."

"your brother chose your clothes?" adrien questions, seemingly surprised. celeste nods and looks down at her feet.

marinette frowned as celeste's cheeks flush and nearly mistakes it as her being flustered from talking with adrien, which would be a definite problem, if not for the sheepish chuckle that came from the other, "my fashion sense is kind of... _non-existent_."

they all laugh at the confession and celeste's lips twitch, feeling warm with this nice group.

her eyes dart down to adrien's ring and marinette's earrings before quickly looking away as juleka expressed her interest on her ear piercings.

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	12. liar liar

celeste began to spend time with luka's group of friends, though sometimes they didn't notice she was there until luka greeted her normally (he allowed her to have some normalcy at least) as if she hadn't been there the entire time. she supposed that there were benefits to being in a posse.

there were still some days where she spent her time in the confines and recluse serenity of the art room at certain times of the day, but all in all, she... _enjoyed_ her time with the group. she still listened to the gossip, secrets and simple conversations not only from around her when people didn't think anyone could hear but from the group as well.

you'd think they would try to be more careful.

one day, luka was running late from having to talk to a teacher about an assignment when marinette comes to the group with a sour face and immediately goes a rant about a girl who lies about everything and anything. some of the people present sent marinette a withering look, one that shows that they've heard this a lot and don't really know if they can believe what they hear.

oh, celeste definitely knew who she was talking about. she was an easy target to observe as she didn't really pay much attention to her surroundings and more-so to herself.

"are you talking about lila rossi?" she suddenly jumped in the conversation, surprising the rest of them. celeste normally didn't engage conversation, they had to include her or else she would rarely pipe up.

"yes! please tell me you believe me," marinette's eyes were hopeful, and everyone watched with bated breath on what the new addition would say.

celeste smiled, but it was a chilling one that sent shivers up their spine, "do i? i know everyone's dirty little secrets, marinette."

marinette and adrien flinched, and the others gasp.

"you do?" rose seemed astounded, " _everyone_?"

celeste didn't confirm or deny and simply chose to ignore any questions in favor of continuing her answer, "for a cunning liar she sure doesn't pay attention to things around her. can't tell you how many lies i've heard from her mouth, it's one after another."

"but lila is so nice," juleka argued.

celeste's eyes narrowed, "believe what you want to believe, only fools refuse to see the truth. _never_ judge a book by its cover."

she left no room for a response as she turned heel and left for home as the school day was over.

as she walked down the stairs, she passed the girl they had been talking about. lila let lie after lie leave her mouth in order to impress the group around her. celeste clenched her fists.

oh how she wanted to just _punch_ her right in noggin. 

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	13. flushed cheeks

the day was nice and going smoothly, nothing out of the ordinary. they were simply enjoying their lunches as they conversed, about their lives, family, assignments, grades, anything. celeste listened idly to everyone, eyes darting between everyone as she heard different things.

luka, who sat next to her on the grass, watched her as she did so. he set smiled lightly as she did so because no matter how many times that he catches her, it was interesting to see her violet hues go from person to person, showing who she was listening to but no one knowing she was doing so but him.

suddenly, she turned to look at him and violet eyes met his teal ones.

she blinked, probably had not expected for him to be watching her as she watched others. her cheeks suddenly flush and she shoves his shoulders with force but definitely no malice or ill-intent behind it.

no real weight.

"don't look at me like that, ya weirdo," she grumbled, flicking her hair over her shoulder. he tilted his head, not sure what she meant.

"like what?" 

she spluttered, waving her hand to gesture to his face. when he still didn't seem to understand, smiling and shaking his head because celeste was acting funny, she huffed. 

her cheeks flushed with a rosy color and she fiddled with her fingers, "like i'm the only person present right now." and oh, isn't that a sight. luka clears his throat and turns to look at the grass instead, picking at the greenery. he glances at celeste before responding.

"what if i want to?"

her eyes widen and her entire face blooms a darker shade of pink than her bubblegum hair as she stumbles over her response of having to go to the bathroom and tripping over her feet as she scurried off the the restrooms.

he smiled giddily at the grass as he continued to pick at it.

that wasn't a no.

"pull yourself together!" she groaned, patting her cheeks after soaking her hands in cold water. she sighed at the cool feeling of her hands against the heat of her cheeks. she stared at her reflection, scowling at her flustered appearance, "blushing over a boy...what am i doing?"

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